Box Score

Erie, Pa. – Despite a third-period goal from junior forward Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder), the Robert Morris University women's hockey team couldn't erase a two-goal deficit as the Colonials fell to RIT, 4-1, in the College Hockey America (CHA) Semifinals this evening.

No. 10/9 Robert Morris (24-8-3, 13-5-2 CHA) falls in the CHA Semifinals for the second-straight season, while RIT (19-15-3, 11-7-2 CHA) advances to its first CHA Championship Game.

The first period seemed to fly by as neither team committed a penalty. The Colonials had their chances early in the frame, but shots from junior forward Maddie Collias (Roseville, Mich. / Belle Tire) and senior captain Kristen Richards (Toronto, Ontario / Niagara University) found pipe, while freshman forward Brittany Howard (St. Thomas, Ontario / Burlington Jr. Barracudas) was turned away by Tigers goaltender Ali Binnington on a back-handed attempt.

RIT struck first less than three minutes into the second stanza as Melissa Bromley snapped a shot from the slot.

RMU almost knotted it up two minutes later as junior forward Katie Fergus (Oakville, Ontario / Burlington Jr. Barracudas) found Howard open in the slot. The rookie forward gathered the puck cleanly and rifled a shot, but Binnington made the save with her right shoulder to keep the Colonials off the board.

The Tigers added a second goal in the second 20 minutes as Carly Payerl gathered a rebound and snuck it past freshman goaltender Jessica Dodds (London, Ontario / London Jr. Devilettes) from the right side of the crease.

After nearly two full periods without a penalty, RMU gained the first power play opportunity of the contest when Cassie Clayton was booked for tripping with 1:32 remaining in the frame. The Colonials fired three shots on net during the man advantage, but none would the light the lamp.

Vint pulled RMU within one with 11:55 remaining. After the puck was dumped in the Colonial defensive zone, Dodds gathered the biscuit and passed it to junior defenseman Kelsey Gunn (Smith Falls, Ontario / Niagara University). Gunn found the junior forward streaking down the left side of the ice, and Vint snapped a shot from the face-off circle that trickled off Binnington's padding and into the back of the net.

RIT responded with 6:56 remaining. Kourtney Kunichika corralled the puck and went front-hand to back-hand, beating Dodds to regain the two-goal advantage.

With 2:55 remaining, the Tigers set the final as Cassie Clayton beat the Colonial defense on a two-on-one.

Dodds suffered the fifth loss of her career after stopping 24 of 28 shots.

 Vint's goal was her 24^th of the season, padding her single-season record.

Robert Morris will see if its season is extended on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show. The Colonials were seventh in the PairWise Rankings coming into this contest.